Sheet materials (a.k.a. sheathing), such as drywall and Sheetrock® plasterboard, are commonly used in residential, commercial and industrial buildings for covering walls or ceilings. The sheets are manufactured in standard sizes, such as 4×8 feet or 4×12 feet. Due to the size and weight of these sheet materials, fastening of the sheets to horizontal, vertical, or angular studs, joists, rafters or trusses can be tiring and awkward, especially when only one or two installers are on the job site.
Various devices have been used to temporarily support the sheets before attaching them to the underlying structures such as wall studs or roof rafters. They usually are designed to allow one installer to do the job. Many though are cumbersome and expensive. Others require the use of separate nails or screws to attach them.
Typically “dead man” braces, panel lifts or jacks, clamps, clips, and so-called “cleats” have been used. Examples are disclosed below.
A “dead man” brace is typically fabricated from at least two pieces of 2×4 foot lumber in a “T” orientation, and is generally used to temporarily support sheetrock during ceiling installation. It is generally fabricated on the job site to accommodate a specific height dimension, is large and cumbersome in its size, and is not easily transported from one job site to the next.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,219 to Aldrich et al. discloses a “Ceiling Board Jack” for supporting ceiling boards. The “Ceiling Board Jack” has several moving pieces which have to be manipulated for the Jack to work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,446 to Anderson, entitled “Tool for Overhead Sheet Installation”, discloses a support tool for sheet material. Anderson's tool incorporates a screw and a base with a ledge to support the sheet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,309 to Bodell, entitled “Temporary Cleat for Sheet Goods”, describes a relatively thin and wide multi-piece assembly that temporarily supports sheet material. The cleat is nailed to an underlying support and is adjustable to accommodate sheet material of various thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,405 to Miller, entitled “Drywall Support”, describes a relatively thin flat device, except for a right angle offset. The flat portion has two ends, one of which is pointed. By hammering the other end, the pointed end can be driven into a stud for the temporary support of sheetrock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,826 to Hurilla, Jr. discloses a “Sheetrock Lifting Apparatus” for lifting a Sheetrock® sheet to a ceiling, and then aligning the sheet prior to nailing. The lifting device includes a flat support attached to a telescopic support arm.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/098,638, Publication No. 2005/0166484, filed by Richmond, entitled “Device and Method for Installing Building Material”, discloses a handheld clamp with a cross-member or resting surface on which the clamped material sits. That hand tool enables a user to move and align building materials, such as drywall, for nailing to wall studs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,513 to Worthington, entitled “Hand Tool for Gripping and Carrying Objects”, discloses a hand tool for gripping and moving building materials, such as drywall.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,862 to Tyler, entitled “Clamp Device”, discloses a locking clamp having two extended vertical arms. An individual can use this clamp to lift and transport building materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,228 to Gosis et al., entitled “Metal to Metal Cleat”, discloses a “cleat”—a tapered, flat, metal piece with jagged sides. The cleat tapers to an end, which can be hammered into a support beam.
A Seller, identified as “Free Hands Drywall Cletes” on Amazon.com, has designed a “Free Hands Drywall Installation tool”. The tool is generally “L”-shaped which can be screwed into a support beam. The vertical stem of the L is partially recessed on its backside, adjacent the beam. An installer can insert a sheet rock into that recess for support.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/051,583, Publication No. 2006/0185278, filed by Jaffe, entitled “Dry Wall Installation Clips”, discloses a generally “U”-shaped holder or clip. To attach the clip to an overhead beam, a user drives a nail through a hole in the clip and into the beam. The clip can then support a sheet at one end. That allows one person to install this material without additional help.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved “Tool for Hanging Sheathing” which overcome the problems associated with the prior art.
It is another general object to provide a sheetrock support tool which does not require any separate nails or screws to install, and is simple to use.
It is another general object, commensurate with the above-listed objects, to provide a tool which can be quickly removed from an underlying structure and reused if undamaged.